During the latest Nintendo Direct, Bandai Namco announced an upcoming remaster for a pair of classic GameCube RPGs, the Baten Kaitos games. The most recent broadcast from Nintendo saw a plethora of major announcements related to games set to launch throughout the first half of 2023. Nintendo would show off new gameplay for highly-anticipated games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4 alongside new reveals like the return of the Professor Layton franchise. Among the major reveals during the stream was the surprise return of a cult classic RPG.
Baten Kaitos first debuted in 2003 with the release of Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean on the GameCube. The game would see success with fans praising the unique card-based battle system for the RPG, leading developer Monolith Soft to release a prequel in Baten Kaitos Origins. However, the franchise fell dormant following the GameCube era, not seeing another new game or a re-release for nearly two decades. However, Bandai Namco would officially reveal a new remaster of the games set to release later this year.
Bandai Namco confirmed a remaster of both Baten Kaitos games, with Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean and Origins coming to Switch later this year. Dubbed Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster, the remake will feature high-definition visuals with the trailer introducing fans to the story of the RPG. Nintendo did not confirm a hard release date for the remaster during the Direct, simply giving it a Summer 2023 launch window. The trailer also did not confirm whether the release will be digital-only or include a physical version.
The remaster comes as one of several RPGs featured throughout the 45-minute-long Nintendo broadcast. The highly-anticipated Octopath Traveler 2 would also see new gameplay as a part of the broadcast, confirming a new demo for the game with transferrable saves. Nintendo's own RPG franchises would feature during the broadcast as well with Fire Emblem Engage revealing more of the strategy RPG's Expansion Pass. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 also teased future additions to its Expansion Pass, giving a glimpse into a future story expansion.
The return of Baten Kaitos has been rumored for several years with fans speculating that the RPG franchise may eventually make its way onto Switch. Bandai Namco filed trademarks for the Baten Kaitos franchise in 2021, sparking talk of a remaster or new game in the works. The franchise's comeback has also been heavily requested by fans of the classic RPG series, with Nintendo shareholders even asking for new Baten Kaitos games. Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster will mark a long-awaited return to a cult classic RPG series from nearly two decades ago.
Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster will release in Summer 2023 for the Nintendo Switch.
